On Anzac Day, Michael Blair walked out at Highgate for an unobserved TAC Cup match that, as his 150^th appointment to an AFL Victoria match, a combination of 64 Development League and 86 TAC Cup matches, arguably ought to have been acknowledged. Instead, Blairy went about his business as he has always done in his eight and a bit years at Victoria Park.

The truth is that such achievements are not recognised, shunned even, as a sign that an umpire hasn’t managed to rise to senior footy as they’d hoped. The paradox of Michael, though, is while when he reached the milestone of his 50^th TAC Cup match he was excited for the achievement and was not afraid to publicly show it, his contentedness in umpiring at the lower levels of state league football betrayed his burning desire to make the jump to VFL footy and beyond.

That contentedness was, from what he can tell, the turning point. Following several unsuccessful trials for the senior goal squad, Blairy went back to the basics and just enjoyed his footy. It wasn’t giving up – he isn’t the senior-footy-or-bust kind of guy. Instead, Michael focused on the happiness that being a part of the game brought him.

Michael’s contribution was not limited to the field. He served as a track representative for the Association and has for some time now coordinated the Quality Assurance Project, delivering improvements to the match day conditions for all umpires. His commitment to this function saw him granted Life Membership of the VFUA in 2013.

The year after was a contradiction in fortunes though. Michael watched as again new umpires came and were promoted to the senior list, while he was not so lucky. But at the end of 2014, umpiring was a distant memory as he married long-time girlfriend Hayley and went on a honeymoon to the US.

Early in 2015, the good news continued, as it was announced that the newlyweds were expecting their first child. It was Michael’s style to be proud as punch. But the bigger announcement was still to come – Michael finally heard his name read out as a senior list umpire on March 24, in front of all his peers. Just weeks later, his first senior game arrived – a road trip for North Ballarat’s match against Williamstown.

The night before that match, he was watching AFL legend Mick Malthouse also celebrate a personal milestone. The comparison between Blairy’s umpiring journey and Malthouse’s time at Collingwood shouldn’t be ignored. Both are stories of getting close, missing out, suffering setbacks, regrouping and finally reaching the pinnacle.

Michael’s time at the VFL started out in misfortune. The day before the first training session he was involved in a mountain biking accident where he fractured his elbow. He had moved up to Melbourne as an 18-year old from Bairnsdale having umpired in two grand finals the previous two years, and now his dream of taking the next step was in tatters. But having summoned the courage to call then Umpiring Director Kevin Mitchell to break the news, he was promptly encouraged to come on down and show his face. Fast forward a couple of months, and the elbow had healed in time for a practice match and inclusion on the list the week after. Michael’s commitment to achieving his goals is exemplified by that first year.  “I started well and truly behind the eight ball, I spent the preseason walking laps while the rest of the group trained. I’d started such a long way back to where everyone else had been coached from my time in East Gippsland I actually had no formal goal umpire coach. I came down really raw… I’d self-taught myself the basics of goal umpiring.”

From there he set about making the senior squad. However he missed out on numerous occasions, each time seemingly unable to secure a senior squad position due to other umpires coming back from AFL or other squads, or just not enough numbers available. Eventually, his frame of mind took a turn that quite possibly secured him the change of luck he needed. “Probably two years ago I reached a frame of mind where I was content with umpiring TAC Cup and VFL Reserves. I always wanted to improve but at the same time there was a little realisation that hey if this is what I’m gonna be doing, this is what I’m gonna be doing. I was enjoying what I was doing, I was having fun, I have great friends, and I was umpiring some of the up and coming stars of the AFL.”

The rest is history. But as for the future, with a growing family, the pressure of added responsibilities would grow. Not so, says Michael. “Hayley’s always been at my side, always been supportive, always encouraging me to get to training, be prepared for matches, always encouraging me to umpire well, making sure I’m happy. She understands the importance of umpiring to me.”

While he’ll no doubt be keen to add more senior games as the year progresses, Michael can be pleased with having achieved a long-held goal – and his story shows you don’t have to give up easily. That change of luck could be just around the corner.